Milo and Marcos at the End of the World

March 15, 2022
A teen boy figures out his true feelings in this heartfelt page-turner. Milo Connolly is a "super-religious, super-shy nerd"--or at least that's what his fellow seniors would say. Except for his agnostic soccer star best friend, Van, a girl he met at church, people in Port Orange, Florida, would be pressed to even remember him. All there seemingly is to Milo is being the son of adamantly Republican Presbyterian parents. It's not completely untrue; he does appreciate the structure and clarity of church life, but there's more to Milo than his timidity and anti-social inclinations. Like what happened at camp three years ago--or what almost happened, anyway--something he'd be happier burying forever. Except now, like a bad omen from the heavens, Marcos Price has come back into his life, and once they're face to face, the earth literally moves. The more the boys explore their feelings for each other, the more the natural disasters pile up. Milo becomes convinced God is punishing him for being gay. Now he must decide whether being with Marcos is worth it if it means the world is going to end. Milo's journey is sincere and moving, written in engaging prose and wrapped up in a satisfying conclusion. Characters are well-rounded and believable, and it's impossible not to root for them to get their happy endings. Milo is White; Van is Puerto Rican, and Marcos is White and Cuban. A funny, sweet, and emotional navigation of faith and queerness. (Fiction. 13-18)

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April 4, 2022
Playwright and podcaster Snipes’s debut—a tender romance with an engaging premise—is a sensitive portrayal of a Christian teenager grappling with his sexuality. Seventeen-year-old Milo Connolly’s first day of senior year is derailed by a giant sinkhole appearing in front of his Port Orange, Fla., high school; it’s further complicated when he realizes that 17-year-old Marcos Price, whom Milo crushed on at church camp three years before, has moved to town. Devout white Presbyterian Milo has spent their time apart trying to forget that summer, but when half-white, half-Cuban atheist Marcos reveals that he feels the same way, the boys attempt a tentative courtship that seems doomed from the start: Holding hands sparks a blackout, a day at the beach brings a hailstorm, and their first date ends with a meteor destroying Marco’s car. After a kiss publicly outs them to a crowded stadium and lightning strikes the arena, the boys must face their conservative families as well as Milo’s certainty that God is destroy-ing the world as Milo begins to reject his internalized homophobia. Snipes thoughtfully captures Milo’s internal turmoil on his jour-ney to self-acceptance, and the teens’ willingness to explore their relationship amid calamity offers an engaging image of headlong first love. Ages 13–up. Agent: Tanusri Prasanna, Foundry Literary + Media.

May 15, 2022
Grades 8-12 Snipes' debut is a roller coaster of a contemporary romance as Marcos and Milo navigate their resurfaced feelings as well as a string of natural disasters that seem intent on keeping them apart. Fans of the author's podcast, The Two Princes, and those looking for a meaningful queer love story will delight in this high-stakes, energetically paced senior-year tale. When Marcos moves back to town after three years, Milo realizes it's time to face the truth about his feelings and stop hiding from his family and church community. Told from Milo's perspective, the story's voice and narrative are extremely relatable as he explores his identity and goes on a journey of self-love. As the two boys grow closer, a pattern of strange natural events rocks their small town, forcing Milo to confront his feelings and the possibility of supernatural forces at work, which coincidentally started when Marcos returned. In addition to their unearthed emotions, the question arises: Are they willing to let the world collapse for the sake of their love?

COPYRIGHT(2022) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

September 1, 2022

Gr 7 Up-When Presbyterian teen Milo went to church camp three years ago with his best friend Van, he encountered the only stumbling block he has experienced in his faith: an unexpected crush on his aggressively atheist roommate, Marcos. Milo's years of successfully avoiding confronting his sexuality come to an end when Marcos moves to town, and it becomes clear that Milo's crush has not only persisted but is reciprocated. The two boys tentatively embark on a relationship, but each milestone is marked by a bizarre natural disaster that leaves Milo increasingly certain that his faith and sexuality can only exist in opposition to each other. His internalized homophobia, combined with anxiety about what this means for his faith, is matched with realistic fears of how his parents will react to learning their son is dating another boy. Although the central plot revolves around the conflict between faith and identity, religion is not portrayed as inherently negative, and the book notably does not end with Milo renouncing either his religion or his relationship with Marcos. Instead, readers are left with the promise that Milo, Marcos, and their families have started down a path that can incorporate all aspects of their identities. VERDICT A strong secondary purchase for school and public libraries where queer books are popular.-Austin Ferraro

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